KARACHI, Feb 18: Water level in Hub Dam reservoir went up by five feet on Tuesday in the wake of widespread rains across the dam’s catchment area on Monday.

Wapda officials said that the rains, which started in the wee hours of Monday and continued intermittently till Tuesday evening, raised the water level from 275 RL (Reservoir Level) to 280.2 RL.

Sources in the city government’s water and sanitation (W&S) department, when asked about the impact of this increase on the overall water supply position in Karachi, said that the supply from Hub source would improve to a great extent. They elaborated by saying that an increase of just one feet in the dam’s reservoir level was enough to cater to Karachi’s need over a period of 12 to 15 days. With the five-feet increase, they added, the supply could be maintained at a normal flow for more than two months.

They, however, made it clear that a decision to this effect would have to be taken by the additional chief secretary of planning department, Sindh, at a meeting to be held under his chairmanship in a couple of days. Among others, officials of Wapda and the W&S department would also attend the meeting, they added.

Describing Monday’s rains as a ‘boon’ for the localities hooked to the Hub source, the officials said that if the meeting decided to restore the Hub source supply to Karachi, the sprawling townships of Baldia, Orangi, Surjani, North Karachi and other parts of the city, including Shershah and Site industrial Area (which are presently being supplied water once in five days from the Indus source) might be supplied water every fourth day.

It may be recalled that water supply to Karachi from the Hub source was completely stopped in December 1999 because the reservoir’s catchment area had received no rains in four consecutive monsoon seasons.

The supply could be resumed only in the third week of August 2001 following rains in the catchment area in the monsoon season of 2000.

On Oct 16, 2002, water level in the reservoir came down again and touched its dead storage level of 275 RL prompting the authorities to go for the suspension of water supply to Karachi.

To handle the situation, the W&S department resorted to introduce water-holiday system for those areas of the city which were being fed through the Indus source.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of rains, stinking atmosphere prevails in and around several main commercial centres of the city.

Though town administrations on Tuesday managed to drain out stagnant rainwater on major thoroughfares in their areas, rainwater still remains accumulated on roadsides and streets of various localities.

Stagnant rainwater was seen even on Sharea Liaquat, Sharea Quaideen, parts of M. A. Jinnah Road, Soldier Bazar, service roads of PECHS’ Nursery area.

Residents of Saudia Colony, Malir, complained that although rainwater had accumulated in a street having 11KV high tension pole, the Town Nazim had refused to initiate work on the plea that the area had not been transferred to the KMC/city government by the defunct KDA.

The health workers of different towns were, however, seen draining out rainwater in manholes by removing either their covers or by breaking them as they were unable to channelise the rainwater in the choked storm-water drains.

At a number of places, manhole covers, removed by the health workers were left open.

Rotten fruits and other filthy material soaked with rainwater were giving a foul-smell in commercial areas of Tariq Road, Burnes Road, Lea Market, Karimabad’s Memon Market, Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, in and around Empress Market, Nazimabad’s Gole Market, etc.